After the End
by simonesummers
Summary: What happens after the manga ends? How are Kyo and Tohru? Yuki and Machi? Aya and Mine? Shigure and Akito? Essentially, everyone? A fanfiction trying to continue the story in Fruits Basket, while sticking to the manga's characterization, plot, and style. Meant as a birthday gift for my roommate, she suggested I share the installments. Enjoy! Future chapters to come.
1. Chapter 1

Fruits Basket FanFiction: After the End

A fanfiction made hoping to continue the story of Fruits Basket in a similar style and characterization as the manga. Enjoy!

To my dearest roommate Jessica

The person who got me addicted to Fruits Basket

Chapter 1: Introduction

Snow was lightly falling into a blanket covering the quiet streets of the small town. The trees lay bare, and few shoppers darted between stores in hopes of avoiding the cold. The scene was pristine, only to be interrupted by a shock of orange hair belonging to a man pressing his face against the window display of a jewelry shop. Never before had someone looked more out of place than Kyo Sohma did currently. Eyes wide and cheeks red, he stared blankly into the shop, where various necklaces, rings, and bracelets were mocking him with exorbitant prices. Kyo sighed, turned to face the street, and leaned against the window.

"This is ridiculous, all that money just for a stupid ring," he muttered to himself. It had been a year since Kyo and Tohru Honda had left Tokyo for his studies, and they currently lived in a cheap apartment near the dojo where he trained. Kyo opened and examined his wallet, only to close it immediately after, since it was near empty. They didn't live luxuriously, but they were happy.

What appeared to be a couple with locked arms walked out of the jewelry shop, and Kyo, without glancing up, moved to the side to allow the display to be visible. The couple stopped where he had been standing and started inspecting the rings.

"Oh my, how extremely dazzling these rings are, my dear, could it be we've found something comparable to your beauty?" A man asked. Kyo gagged and turned away: he couldn't stand couples like this.

"Dearest, be careful when you tease, you may just hurt my feelings!" a second man replied.

"Yes!" they said in unison.

Kyo's head shot up only to realize that Ayame and Shigure were in fact the pair he assumed to be a couple.

"Wha…what…you two…why….here…?" Kyo faltered.

"What's wrong, Kyon-kichi, cat got your tongue?" Ayame asked. The two men roared with laughter.

Kyo turned around and began to quickly walk home.

"Now, now, Kyo-chan," Shigure chided, "Don't be so mean! Don't let us interfere with your shopping trip!"

Kyo smirked. As if they could do anything but that.

"Kyon-kichi," Ayame practically sang, "Could it be that you were looking for an engagement ring for our precious Tohru-kun?"

"Since his face is brighter than his hair, I'm guessing that's exactly what he was doing, Aya," Shig joined. "Oh dear, our little Kyo-Kyo is all grown up!"

Ayame threw his arms in the air, phone in hand, and promptly called the first number on speed dial.

"Tori-chan, you'll never guess who Shig and I just ran into! Little Kyon-kichi, and he's buying Tohru-chan an-"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPORT TO HATORI ALL THE TIME, YOU LOUSY SNAKE!" Kyo yelled, grabbing the phone out of Ayame's perfectly manicured hand. "What are you two doing here anyway?" he added suspiciously. "Where's your wife, Ayame, and where's Akito?"

"Why we're here? That, Kyo-chan, is a surprise. We would like to visit Miss Honda, if she's," Shigure threw a derisive glance at the engagement rings "…_Available..?" _

Shoppers slowed down when passing the group on the sidewalk, taking in the visual of the two grown men standing in the snow, one in complete traditional get-up and the other in a lace-embroidered gown. Kyo exhaled and begrudgingly led them towards the apartment.

He felt like he should call Tohru and warn her of the impending visitors, but Shigure firmly announced he wanted to surprise her. The three men trudged through the snow and made their way down the street.

"So Kyo-kun, how's the married life, are you a daddy yet? Shigure inquired.

"We're not married, and stop saying strange things, pervert!" Kyo reprimanded. They turned down a small side street and entered a snowy courtyard surrounded by old apartments constructed in a traditional style. Stairs led up to an outdoor hallway, where wall lights marked each apartment door with a luminous glow, giving the dwellings an almost ethereal feeling. The door closest to the stairs was different, though; it seemed brighter, more cheerful even, and just as Kyo glanced up, it swung open as if on cue. Dressed in a white knit dress with her dark hair loosely tied behind her head, Tohru beamed from the second floor down at the visitors that had just arrived.

"Ah! Welcome Ayame-san, Shigure-san! What a surprise! Please come in and get out of the cold, I will make some tea!" Tohru greeted them each with a quick nod as they walked through the door. When Kyo walked in last, she leaned up and pecked him on the cheek.

Ayame scooped Tohru up before she had a chance to get to the kitchen and whined, "Now, Tohru-chan, where's Uncle Aya's hug?"

"Sorry!" she laughed, "I always forget that we can do that now!"

Once the tea was ready, they all sat around the table, discussing the latest news.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard about Mine by now, yes? She's due in July to have a baby boy," Eyes sparkling, Ayame rejoiced "Yun-Yun will finally be an uncle, ah, how I hope the child is just like little brother!" He threw his silver hair over his shoulder and smiled blissfully at Tohru.

"And of course, I assume you've been in touch with Akito this past year?" Shigure added.

Tohru nodded and exclaimed, "Yes! She emailed me recently about the many trips you have taken this year, the photos were lovely! I'm surprised to see you actually, since you two just returned from Germany the other day, did you not? Please, excuse my discourtesy, but may I ask the purpose of your and Ayame-san's visit? Will you be staying with us for long? I can set up a spare room..?"

"Don't encourage them!" Kyo interjected, glaring at Shigure who was smiling sweetly at him in return.

"Do not worry yourself, Miss Honda," Shigure cooed, "We plan to leave for Tokyo today. However, we intend for you and Kyo-kun to come with us."

"Wha?" Kyo and Tohru said simultaneously.

"What's with this short notice?" Kyo hissed, "I train every day at the dojo, and Tohru works at the school as a guidance counselor! We can't just pick up our things and go!"

"Why do you plan to bring us to Tokyo, Shigure-san?" Tohru asked, "Did something happen?"

"As for your worries Kyo-kun, Aya and I already took the liberty to call the dojo and the Tohru's school to inform them of your absence. And to answer your question, Tohru.." Shigure turned and gazed out the window, watching the snow falling slowly outside.

"Akito wishes to uphold the tradition of New Years with a banquet for the zodiac." However, unlike past years, family and friends are invited, including you and Kyo-kun. Akito was very much hoping that Miss Honda could come." Tohru's eyes grew wide for a moment, and she stood up suddenly, still holding her tea.

"This is wonderful! Seeing everyone for New Years, ah, but I do not have gifts! But of course, we must pack quickly! Will anything in the refrigerator spoil while we are away? Ah, and Kyo-kun…" Tohru paused, horrified, and turned to face Kyo. "Ah, Kyo, I'm so sorry, I got carried away! I did not even ask if you wanted to go…"

Kyo returned her gaze for a moment, and then smiled. He joined her in standing and tenderly took the tea out of her hands and placed it on the table. She grabbed his hand, obviously still feeling like she horribly offended Kyo by accepting the invitation.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped," Kyo agreed. Tohru smiled cheerfully.

"He's gotten soft" Shigure whispered.

"Yep, soft!" Ayame agreed.

"Ah," Tohru stopped, "but how did you happen upon Kyo-kun in town? Did you all meet somewhere?"

Ayame immediately stood and proclaimed, "Yes, Yes, Tohru-chan! How could we forget? Shigure and I saw Kyon-kichi shopping for an engag-"

"SHUT IT YOU STUPID SNAKE!" Kyo yelled while leaping across the room, tackling Ayame to the floor.

"Oh dear, it seems Kyo-kun doesn't want you to know Miss Honda," Shigure tittered, "You should leave him for an honest man, like Aya and me."

"YOU CALL THAT A MAN?" Kyo snarled, struggling with an amused Ayame who had taken up an attempt to tickle Kyo.

Tohru smiled at them, thoroughly confused as to what had just happened, but happy that Kyo seemed so friendly around their guests.

"I should clean up and pack!" she excused herself from the room, shaking her head at Shigure's comment "Aya, I thought you only liked tickling me." Away from the noise, she hurriedly filled her and Kyo's bags with a few outfits. She also changed into clothes for the cold and wrapped herself in the scarf Kyo had bought for her. Before zipping up her bag, she sat down on their bed and picked up the photo of her parents from the bedside table.

"Mother, Father…" Tohru whispered, " Kyo-kun and I are going back to the Sohma residence to see our dear friends," She placed the photo back on the table, stood up, and grabbed the suitcases. "Please, watch over our home! We will return soon!"

With one last glance at the photo, Tohru switched off the lights and joined the group prepared to leave. Kyo, taking his suitcase and her outstretched hand, leaned down and asked, "Are you excited to see everyone?"

Grinning, she squeezed his hand and replied, "More than anything!"

Braving the cold, the group left the apartment and headed for the train station, eager to begin their journey back to Tokyo.

...

"Are they on their way?" Rin murmured, entranced by the patterns her breath made on the icy window.

"They should be on the train by now. She will be here soon," Hatsuharu assured, brushing his fingers through her long, black hair along the small of her back. Rin leaned into him and sighed.

"I don't know if I can tell her, Haru. She'll… I can't…"

"We will tell her, Rin. And she will listen. That's all we can do."

Still looking out at the snow, Rin felt him wipe a single tear off her face.

"Tohru," Rin breathed, "Please come back…"

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the lunch bell rang, Mayuko Shiraki awoke and jolted her head off the stack of papers on her desk in alarm.

"What time is it?" she thought, rubbing her eyes. It took her a moment to realize that the lunch period had just ended, and class would be starting in ten minutes. She groaned. Standing up, she smoothed her shirt, tidied her hair, and cleaned off her desk for class. Before putting away her purse, she checked her phone, pleased to see a message from Hatori Sohma in her voicemail. She ignored the other fourteen missed calls from Ayame and Shigure, and listened to the message.

"Mayu, it's me," Hatori's deep voice answered, "Work seems slow today so I might drop in for lunch. Give me a call when you get this."

"Shit!" Mayu cursed, scrambling to return the call. After a few rings, the phone went to voicemail. She groaned.

"Sorry I missed your call, Hatori, I accidentally fell asleep during lunch, I haven't even eaten yet." Students started shuffling into the classroom. "I have to go now, but I'll see you for tea. Bye!"

As she hung up, two Sohmas made their way into the class.

"Afternoon, Mayu-chan!" Momiji greeted warmly, taking his seat by the window overlooking the snowy street below. Mayu greeted him with a smile and chuckled when multiple girls eyed him eagerly. Ever since Yuki Sohma graduated, Momiji had become the center of increasing female affection. Hatsuharu followed closely behind him, completely disregarding the fawning girls trying to draw his eye and taking a seat next to Momiji. Leaning close to Haru's desk, Momiji rested his face his hand and stared off into the distance.

"So I hear Shi-chan and Aya-chan are practically dragging back Tohru and Kyo-kun for New Years." He turned to look at Haru. It's been so long since I've seen her… I wonder if she's changed."

Haru stared back at him blankly, shrugged, and put his head down on his crossed arms. Momiji leaned back into his seat.

"Are you feeling alright, Haru-chan? You and Rin get into a little fight?" Momiji teased, trying to get him to lift his head.

"Something like that." Haru responded coldly, immediately ending the conversation.

Momiji sighed and decided to watch the snow drift lazily onto the school grounds outside. With his finger, he traced the frost creeping onto the window, escaping the classroom in his thoughts of what to get Tohru for New Years.

"It has to be perfect..." He declared to himself. "for Tohru."

Mayu felt like collapsing after the school day was finally over. Starving, she collected her things and walked to the teahouse where she and Hatori met after work each day to spend time together. When they first started dating, it was essentially the only time they could see each other. However, they had been dating for almost a year now, and since last month when she moved in with him, they had no trouble being together. At this point, they continued to visit the teahouse only out of habit.

Stepping out of the cold, Mayu removed her scarf and breathed in deeply the familiar scents of jasmine and lemon. She saw Hatori sitting in their usual booth, silently reading a newspaper. Moments like these were Mayu's favorite, where she could simply watch Hatori from afar and wonder how she got so lucky. She loved everything about him, his dark hair, his piercing eyes, and especially the small but crooked smile he showed to only her. Of course, her parents were happy: when she had told them about Hatori her mother cried of joy, wailing how her Mayu-chan wouldn't end up without a husband after all. Suddenly, Hatori looked up to see her gawking at him and smiled, signaling for her to join. Blushing from being caught staring, she set down her bag and sat across from him.

"I thought you'd never make it," Hatori teased, casually taking a sip out of his tea.

"Are you kidding," she lowered her voice, "With the night we had I'm surprised I've managed to stay up for this long."

"Ah, yes, my apologies for that… I never realized Ayame would continuously try to call me regarding his visiting Miss Honda. I really must scold him for these late calls I've been receiving."

"He's even been calling me! This has gotten ridiculous." At that moment Hatori's phone buzzed and flashed Ayame's name. They laughed and Hatori opened the phone reluctantly, while Mayu poured herself some tea.

"Yes, Aya?"

Mayu nearly spilled her tea when a deafening voice came from Hatori's phone.

"Tori-chan, you'll never guess who Shig and I just ran into! Little Kyon-kichi, and he's buying Tohru-chan an-"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPORT TO HATORI ALL THE TIME, YOU LOUSY SNAKE" came a distant voice, and suddenly, the call was lost.

"Was that Kyo?" Mayu asked.

"Sounded like it. That reminds me, though, I've been meaning tell you. The Sohma family is holding a New Year's celebration, and this year it is open to friends and family. I was hoping that you would be able to join me?"

"Ah" Mayu reacted hesitantly, "While I would love to spend New Years with you, I can't help but wonder… are you sure it's alright? I wouldn't need to have my memory erased? Like what happened to-"

At that moment, the door of the tea house swung open and frosty air swept through the restaurant, sending a chill down Mayu's spine. A small woman had just entered the shop, spotted their table, and started to rush over.

"What the-" Mayu started.

"Mayu! Hatori-san!" the woman sqeaked, wrapping her arms around Mayu's neck in a tight embrace. Hatori's face stiffened, but he managed to look perfectly unfazed.

"Hello Kana-san. How are you?" He pleasantly replied.

"A perfect gentleman as always, Hatori-san. You're lucky you found such a keeper, Mayu!" Removing her scarf and hat, she took a seat next to Mayu and smiled pleasantly at them both.

"I haven't seen you two in what feels like forever! How are you? Oh, and Hatori-san, to answer your question, I'm great! My husband and I are actually expecting our first child in about seven months."

"That's..." Mayu struggled with words.

"That's incredible, Kana-san. Congratualations to you and your husband." Hatori finished.

"Thank you, Hatori-san, that means a lot! But enough about me, please, how are you?"

Mayu finally found her words and managed to say, "We have moved in together, we now live at Hatori-san's home."

Kana's eyes lit up and she squeezed Mayu's hand.

"I can't believe it! This is fantastic news! I hope to visit soon."

"We would love to have you." Hatori added. "Excuse me ladies, please, I need to use the restroom. Continue without me." He stood and left the two old friends to talk.

"What did I tell you, Mayu? I knew you and Hatori would make a great couple!" Kana giggled.

Her face growing pale, Mayu weakly replied, "Yep, you sure did."

A waiter came to set the bill on the table. On the top, the restaurant's logo showed a dragon wrapping around a moon.

"You know," Kana began offhandedly, "for some reason, Hatori has always reminded me of a dragon… there's just something about him that reminds me of…" Her voice trailed off into silence.

"Of what?" Mayu asked, turning to look at her friend. Kana's face was completely ashen, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

"What's wrong, Kana? Kana! Are you okay? I'll go get Hatori-"

"No." Kana quickly exclaimed. "Sorry, I just got a little light-headed. Pregnancy hormones, I bet!" She laughed half-heartedly and started to get up.

"Please, give Hatori-san my apologies, but I must leave now. I'm expected for an appointment with my doctor, and I cannot be late. It was nice seeing you, Mayu. I hope… I hope to see you soon!" She abruptly turned and walked out of the tea house before Mayu could even say goodbye.

"What on Earth…" Mayu said to herself, fretting over her friend's strange reaction to the dragon. She finished off her tea and made a mental note to mention the strange occurrence to Hatori when he returned.

Walking home in the snow was one of Momiji's favorite pastimes. He particularly enjoyed creating miniature snowmen, but he never felt they looked quite right until he added a pair of rabbit ears to the top. Ever since the curse broke, he found himself feeling disconnected from the other members of the Sohma family. He desperately missed Tohru as well, to a point where it hurt. Strolling past various Sohma residences, he glanced up to see a familiar beautiful woman leaning outside to get her mail. His mother, whom he seemed to resemble more and more with each passing day, noticed him on the path below and greeted him cheerfully.

"Hello Momiji-san, be careful to not stay in the cold for too long! You'll get yourself sick."

Momiji smiled and replied, "You needn't worry about me, but thank you, please stay warm yourself!"

"I do need to worry, though, since Momo-chan seems to stick to you like glue," she laughed heartily, "You are her nii-chan after all!"

Momiji's heart stopped and he became paralyzed.

"Sorry, what?" he asked, not daring to hope for the reply he had longed to hear for many years.

"It's just Momo is always saying 'nii-chan' this and 'nii-chan' that, it's as if you're part of this family!"

It took every bit of his willpower to force himself to say, "Now I wouldn't say that."

"Well either way, have a nice evening, Momiji-san. Thank your mother for me, since I know you've been playing with Momo after school. That's very kind of you. Feel free to visit her more if you like, she seems to like you very much!" She smiled happily, waved, and returned back inside.

Momiji stood there for a few minutes in the cold. Snow began to fall more heavily, and his clothes soon became drenched.

"Thank you, mother." He whispered, staring intently at the door that separated him and his family. He resumed his trip to his house once more, feeling like his real home was not at all where he was headed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Snow flurried madly outside, making the Tokyo train station a snow globe densely packed with luggage, people, and anxiety. The tension in the air was tangible, and no one could make it through the crowd without being jostled by passengers running toward their trains. As congested as it was, Yuki Sohma had no trouble spotting the party that had come to pick him up.

"YUN-YUUUUN!" Kakeru Manabe hollered, his call reverberating through the station as he waved vigorously. Yuki smiled. He hadn't seen Kakeru, Kimi, or Komaki since he left for university. Although he was exhausted from lack of sleep and couldn't wait to get home and rest, he was pleased to see his student council friends waiting for him here.

"Hello everyone… oh, where is Nao?"

"His family went on a trip for New Years, so he couldn't make it. He sends his regards, though!" Maki reassured warmly.

Kimi threw her hands around Yuki's arm and drew him close, "Enough about him, we have so much to talk about, Yun-yun!" Yuki instinctively stepped away from the embrace, but remembered himself and chuckled.

"I look forward to hearing it, Kimi!" he nodded.

Kakeru grabbed Yuki's bags and teased, "Quit flirting you two, we can catch up all we want in the car."

Yuki laughed and whispered maliciously, "No need to be jealous Kakeru, you'll make your Komaki-chan anxious."

"I'm not the one you should be worried about, Yun-yun." He baited sweetly.

The two grinned at each other with a perverse amiability as the group squeezed their way out of the busy station.

Once in the parking lot, Kakeru led them to a car covered in a thin film of snow. From the driver's window, Yuki could just make out a pair of steady, brown eyes staring straight at him.

"Machi said she'd keep the engine warm while we waited," Maki commented, "Yuki-kun, why don't you sit in front too?"

"Ah, yes, thank you." Yuki agreed, going around the car and opening the door to the passenger seat. When he climbed in, a wave a heat engulfed him. He wasn't sure if it was because Machi had clearly been blasting the heater while waiting for them, or because she had just taken his cold, bare hand and held it between hers.

"Welcome back, Yuki." His heart skipped a beat as he stared back at the face he had only seen twice in the past year. They spoke often on the phone, but with school and university applications, Machi barely had time for herself, let alone trips to Yuki's college. He held up her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"I've missed you." He said dramatically, trying to elicit her embarrassment. Machi's entire face was crimson. He smirked wickedly.

The others eventually climbed into the backseat, obviously stalling in hopes of avoiding their displays of affection.

"Well, should we get going? We're expected for lunch." Kakeru prodded Machi's arm. She nodded automatically, shifted into reverse, and began winding their way out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

"We're getting lunch?" Yuki inquired, suddenly wary of the afternoon plans.

"Oh, did I not mention that?" Kakeru laughed malevolently. "Your brother invited us to his shop for lunch."

Kimi added eagerly, "Yeah, he said we'd be getting fitted for New Year's outfits!"

"What..." Yuki muttered, not particularly upset that he'd be seeing his brother, but more at the prospect of being costumed in front of the others. He glanced at Machi, who had a faint, but amused smile emerging.

"So much for a peaceful afternoon." He complained, leaning his head against the car window, smiling to himself.

…

Eyes nearly rolling back, the impact of the snowball hitting his head drove Hiro Sohma face first into the thick snow bank covering the park. He lifted himself up and turned to see his attacker.

"If you expect to defend your woman, you've got to at least be able to defend yourself." The short, black haired boy nagged, shaping another snowball in his hands. "Think fast, Kisa-chan."

He launched the ice toward the girl leaning over Hiro.

"Megumi, it's not fair when his back is turned!" Kisa Sohma giggled, dodging the snowball and helping Hiro off the ground. Hiro blushed. In the past year he had grown even taller, as he was now nearing Haru-niisan's height. He felt ridiculous being helped up by Kisa, who was still by any standards slight of frame. He quickly grabbed a pile of snow and threw it at his classmate.

"Don't throw snow at Kisa, you moron! What if she got hurt?" he yelled, blushing even more when he came to his senses and realized Kisa was staring up at him, slightly confused by his overreaction.

"I'll be okay Hiro," she reassured him cheerfully, "but thank you for worrying about me!"

He groaned. Ever since Kisa latched herself on to Tohru Honda, she had the tendency to occasionally mimic the way that annoying woman spoke.

Two girls on the sidewalk noticed Kisa and called out to her.

"Ah, those are my friends from homeroom! Would you like to meet them, Hiro?" Kisa asked, turning to face him. Completely absorbed in aiming snow at Megumi, he responded distractedly, "Don't let me impose, go talk with your friends, we'll be right here." He launched his snowball and hit Megumi directly in the face.

She nodded, turned and trudged through the snow over to her friends.

"Hello Kisa-chan, what are you up to? Aren't those guys in the year below us?" her friend Yumi asked, in her characteristic monotone. Yumi was thin, had long, black hair, and glasses that fit her small face perfectly.

"Oh that's just Hiro and Megumi, we've been playing in the snow."

"You mean THE Hiro?" Mei nearly screamed, eyes widening. Mei was a hyper girl, with light brown hair and a cute face. Kisa held a finger to her lips and glanced around nervously.

"Please Mei, he thinks of me as a sister!" Kisa whispered, blushing lightly.

"Kisa, you never mentioned how tall he was, he looks like a high school student!" Mei squeaked, glancing over Kisa's shoulder to view the boys playing in the snow.

"Or how cute he is." Yumi added quietly.

The two girls stared expectantly at their friend who was fidgeting with the hem of her jacket.

"I don't think he feels that way about me." She exhaled, not daring to look at her friends.

"You may say that, but he hasn't stopped looking at you this entire time, Kisa!" Mei taunted happily. Kisa quickly looked at Hiro, confirming her friend's suspicion when their eyes met. She felt like the moment seemed to last for days, when really they both quickly turned away, blushing.

"You know, you're never going to get anywhere at this rate, Hiro," Megumi turned to his friend, "She's going to high school next year, where she's going to meet lots of guys who will also think she's cute. Then what will you do?"

Staring intently at Kisa, Hiro knew his classmate was right. He sighed, plopped onto the snow, and wrapped his arms around his legs.

"I'm really hopeless…" he muttered, wondering why Kisa's friend seemed to be gawking at him. "She just sees me as a brother. How am I supposed to confess to her when I can't even be with her next year, what if she feels lonely at her new school and-"

"You're strangely protective over her, Hiro, it's not like you need to be her knight in shining armor." He noticed the distress in his friend's face and patted his hand. "Don't worry, I'll curse any guy who gets near her."

"That's unneccesary." Hiro rebuked. Suddenly Kisa swung around and made eye contact with him for what felt like forever. He blushed fiercely and forced his head away from her gaze. Megumi stared at his friend, thoroughly entertained.

"I'm so glad Saki introduced me to you, Hiro, you're hilarious."

Hiro scooped up a handful of snow and smashed it into Megumi's face.

"Still not a fan of that, though." He wiped off his face. "Say, why don't you tell her at the Sohma's New Years Party?"

"How do you know about the New Years Party?" Hiro inquired, apprehensive of his paranormal-loving friend.

"Remember? Hanajima is my sister? Of course I'm going." Megumi reminded him.

"It's easy to forget, you two are so dissimilar." Hiro added sarcastically.

"But really, confess at New Years. Girls apparently find that kind of thing really romantic. At least, that's what Saki tells me. She'll stop thinking of you as a brother in no time."

"Hmm. New Years, huh?" Hiro repeated. At that moment Kisa waved to her friends, who turned and continued to make their way down the street. Kisa started walking back to where the boys were sitting.

"Your lady awaits." Megumi said casually. Hiro pushed him over into the snow and got up to welcome Kisa, still fighting the redness in his cheeks.

…

The crowded car pulled in front of the shop carefully, and came to a halt. Seconds later, Kakeru burst out and ran to the door.

"Commander, we're here!" he yelled. The others slowly got out of the car, reluctant to leave the warmth of the heater. Yuki pulled his bags out of the trunk just in time to hear a bellowing announcement to the neighborhood.

"My beloved Yuki! Finally returning home to his dearest big brother's arms! How much pain our separation must have put you through, I can hardly bear to imagine it!" Ayame flew out and lifted Yuki off the ground, spinning him in what seemed like a lovers reunion.

"Ayame…please…put me down." Yuki gasped, struggling to get enough oxygen during the embrace. A pregnant Mine also appeared out of nowhere and enthusiastically hugged a startled Machi.

"My, how cute you are, all of you come in out of the cold!" She tittered, looking up and down at her latest victims of a soon-to-be makeover. Ayame, with Yuki in one arm and bags in the other, joyfully led the group inside the shop and up a set of stairs that lead to the apartment that the married couple occupied. Cheeks red from the cold, the student council group removed their outdoor clothes and hung them in a closet. The apartment seemed unremarkable from the outside, sitting atop the flamboyant storefront displaying various costumes. The inside was rather garish, to say the least. Styled similarly to a dollhouse, fringed lamps lit the bright interior, which was littered with sewing materials, mannequins, sketches, and odd furniture.

"Please, make yourself at home! There's lunch out in the dining room, feel free to help yourselves," Mine said, sitting at the sewing machine and resuming her latest costume project. "You'll have to wait to try on your outfits, our changing areas are currently occupied."

"Who else is here?" Yuki asked exasperated, not sure if he could deal with Shigure at a time like this.

A door opened softly as Tohru emerged in a modest, yet still figure-hugging silver gown that reflected beads of light along the walls.

"Welcome home, Yuki-kun!" she smiled lovingly, however embarrassed from the outfit she was wearing. Kyo stood behind her, wearing a jet-black suit with a silver tie, looking extremely uncomfortable in the attire. Yuki went up to her and held her in a tight embrace. Kakeru coughed loudly. Yuki irritably glanced at him. He looked at Kyo, nodded his head and smiled.

"You look all ready for the ball, stupid cat."

"I'm not the one who'd be able to pull off glass slippers, damn rat."

"Oh, Kyon-kichi, you finally look slightly like a man worthy of my precious Miss Honda. And Tohru-" Aya could not finish because Mine had already hungrily dragged her off to complete the look with various accessories.

"Well," Aya danced over to a clothes rack and selected a floor length dress that was completely embroidered in gold lace. "Darling brother, would you like to try on your gown?" Yuki's face went pale. It was just as he expected.

"I'm not wearing that." He said, weakly.

"He's right, you know," a voice said from a side room. Yuki groaned. Again, just as he feared. "That gown would look far better on you, Aya, don't waste it on Yuki. Please, try it on, for me?" Shigure leaned out from behind a door, fluttering his eyes and modeling an emerald suit that seemed to be made from silk. A hand hit the back of Shigure's head as Hatori walked out, also wearing a suit, but instead of green, his was dark blue.

"You two are idiots." He said, fixing his tie.

"Yes!" They agreed.

Yuki realized that Machi had disappeared from the room, so he left the trio to themselves and began searching for her. The student council members, busy conversing over lunch in the dining room, hadn't seen her. He went downstairs and outside to check the storefront and found her sitting on the sidewalk, staring at the snow falling smoothly in front of her. He smiled, sitting next to her, took her hand and said, "Did you think I'd forget something like that?" She gazed back at him as he pulled her off the sidewalk and into the empty street, where the two stood silently surrounded by the undisturbed banks of snow. Abruptly, Machi started jumping along the road, leaving her footprints scattered chaotically in the snow. Yuki joined her, watching the elation in her eyes as they demolished the serenity of the storefront. They continued like this for three minutes and then collapsed onto the sidewalk, exhausted. Yuki laughed as Machi furiously made a snow angel were she lay. He turned over onto his stomach and watched her, memorizing the way her eyes light up.

"I really do love you, Machi." Her head shot up. Her eyes met his gaze and she flushed, completely taken off-guard. It was the first time he had said it to her.

"I love you too, Yuki," she whispered back while trying to control her facial features, unsure of whether to be extremely serious or happy. Yuki laughed at her grimace between a smile and a straight-face, and sat happily, watching as Machi resumed the destruction of the snowy blanket. He never found Tohru's words more true. He was, in fact, home.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rin could hear someone breathing. Softly at first, the haggard exhales seemed distant, but she could tell they were drawing closer. She turned to face the stranger, realizing all too quickly that her arms and legs were bound to her sides, burning and scratching her skin with any slight movement. Darkness engulfed her; some unknown force seemed to be constraining her eyes shut. Deciding to scream out for Haru, she tried to open her mouth, but to no avail. Rin's mouth was covered in tape, preventing her from making a sound. Panic set in as footsteps approached her, slowing down as they neared her helpless form. The breathing stopped. A caressing touch ran its way through her hair, down her arms, and stopped on her stomach, leaving her skin feeling electrified and freezing all at once.

"My poor horse," the female voice sympathized, moving a hand to slightly loosen the chains wrapping around Rin's wrists, "It's not worth fighting it, Rin, you can't undo the past. You'll always just be… damaged to him." Suddenly, a splitting pain tore through her body, drawing tears from her eyes to a point where she could hardly hear the pointed laughter from the voice. Her consciousness slipping from the torment, she barely noticed the pair of hands gripping her shoulders tightly, shaking her vigorously. Rin's eyes ripped open.

Morning sunlight trickled through the frosty window of Hatsuharu's bedroom, illuminating the worried creases in the boy's face sitting beside her.

"The dream again?" Haru asked quietly.

"Yeah..." Rin admitted breathlessly, rubbing her wrists. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her against his chest.

"It was different this time though," she leaned into him, grabbing the front of his shirt. "She… the person… she spoke."

"Who was it?"

"I couldn't tell. I didn't recognize her voice." Rin spent the next few minutes coming to her senses, and then untangled herself from Haru's arms. She walked slowly to the bathroom and climbed into the shower, eager to wash off the cold sweat that covered her body.

"Class starts soon," Haru's added, standing outside the door so she could hear him. "Do you want me to stay here?"

"No, I'm headed to the dojo. Kagura wants me to come over. I'll see you later tonight."

"Right. Later."

Rin leaned against the shower wall and let the warm water pour over her face. It had been the tenth time she had the same dream, but this was the first time she had ever heard the voice. Akito's voice. Of course, she couldn't tell Haru that, he would just get worried. Ever since last year, she had been having trouble understanding how everyone could seemingly move on, forgiving Akito and forgetting the curse. When these dreams started though, she could tell something was wrong. She wasn't positive as to what it meant, but she definitely had her suspicions. She couldn't bear to think about it.

"Dammit." She cursed, cradling her head in her hand, fighting off an impending headache. After drying off, she threw on one of her more modest pieces, a black dress going just to her knees. Grabbing her bag, she left Haru's home, thankful his parents were gone for the week, and started the long walk to meet Kagura.

"It'll be fine," she reassured herself. " Everything's fine."

….

Legs crossed and face on the table, Kyo's mouth watered in response to the smell of tamagoyaki and steamed rice. He leaned his head to the side, peaking through the door into the kitchen. Hair pulled up with an apron covering her dark blue sweater, Tohru stood above the counter chopping vegetables, humming to herself. She caught his gaze and smiled sweetly at him, only to resume her cooking. He buried his reddened face into his arms, enjoying the rare silence at Ayame's crowded apartment.

"Breakfast is ready!" Tohru walked out of the kitchen with two plates of food and took her place next to him at the table.

"Thanks." He grabbed a plate and started eating, noticing her hand take one of his under the table.

"I'm glad Ayame-san and Mine-san had enough room for all of us to stay last night." Tohru thought out loud.

"If you call us having to share that tiny couch enough room, you clearly don't have high enough standards."

"Oh, sorry!" she laughed, "I was really comfortable, though!" Kyo's blush deepened and he looked away, admitting to himself that he didn't exactly _hate_ sharing the small couch with her.

"I was thinking we could go and stay with Shishou. He has an extra bedroom, and I haven't seen him in awhile."

"That's a great idea, Kyo! I haven't seen Hana-chan since we left!"

The color immediately drained from Kyo's face. He had forgotten about that.

"Are they… together?" Kyo asked, horrified. Tohru laughed.

"Not in the way you're worried about. Although, I think she still likes him…but no, Hana works at the dojo now."

"Don't worry, she's not your mother just yet." Yuki walked in, wearing his pajamas still, and rubbing his eyes. He smiled at Tohru and entered the kitchen to grab a plate.

"Good morning, Yuki, you're up early! Is Machi still here?" Tohru inquired.

"What are you suggesting, Tohru? And to think, she's still in high school…"

Tohru's face flushed as she stammered, "No, I didn't mean, of course not that!" Yuki laughed at her stumbling attempts to explain herself as he joined the couple at the table.

"It's fine. Machi and the rest of the student council group left late last night. Machi has school today, too, and I'm not sure she'd want to miss class with exams a few days away."

"Oh no," Tohru fretted, "I fell asleep so early, I missed my chance to say goodbye…"

"You'll see them at New Year's, I wouldn't worry about it." Yuki reassured, already finishing off his rice. "So…you two are headed to the dojo? Give my regards to Rin and Kagura. Actually, now that I think about it, Haru told me Rin has been meaning to talk to you recently. I'm not sure what about."

"Are they staying there? The dojo?" She chuckled, and added, "Kazuma-san certainly has a knack for acquiring housemates!"

"I bet Kunimitsu doesn't mind." Kyo smirked, imaging his friend and his father surrounded by the bothersome women.

"Actually, I think Kagura and Rin share an apartment nearby, not that Rin is there much of the time." Yuki corrected, cleaning off his plate and setting it to the side.

"I'll take that, Yuki," Tohru finished the last few bites of her breakfast, stood up, and extended her hands out to both men to collect their dishware.

"Oh, thank you, Tohru. Here you go." Tohru left for the kitchen, leaving the cat and mouse in an overwhelming silence that lasted uncomfortably long. They stared at each other, wondering which would make the first effort to speak up. Fortunately, neither of them had to.

"Have I interrupted something? Perhaps a love confession from an ill-fated romance? I should have guessed it, after all these years."

Both boys turned their irritated gazes to Shigure, who had just entered the room. One of the few things Kyo and Yuki could agree on was the fact that Shigure was a complete idiot.

Breakfast passed without further incident, and Ayame and Mine eventually joined them. They all discussed the kimonos from the previous night that Ayame had ultimately picked for the New Years banquet. When they finished off the meal, Mine joined Tohru in the kitchen to help clean (despite Tohru's protests) and the four men were left at the table. Kyo stood and excused himself to collect his and Tohru's belongings; he wanted to escape to the dojo as quickly as he could. This left Ayame, Shigure, and a situational third-wheeling Yuki to themselves.

Making sure the women could not overhear, Shigure leaned forward toward Ayame and asked, "Who do you think will get married first, Aya, Yuki or Kyo?"

Ayame, always enthusiastic to speculate about his younger brother's life, tossed his hair and declared, "Definetely Yuki-kun. Isn't it brazenly obvious how in love he is with the charming Machi-kun? Yes, undoubtedly, my younger brother won't fail in the prospect of romance!"

"You remember that I'm still in the room, right?" Yuki asked irritably.

"I don't know, Aya, Kyo-kun seemed pretty serious when we went to pick him up, and those two already live together. I wouldn't be surprised if something happened at the New Year's banquet."

Yuki wouldn't let his curiosity get the best of him. "You two need to stop nosing your way into people's private lives."

"But Yuki," Shigure whimpered, trying to recall his zodiac animal and giving his best puppy-dog eyes, "Don't you want to know? Don't you care about Tohru-chan?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"Then you must want to know-"

"That's none of my business-"

"Oh, come now Yuki, you can't be serious-"

"Kyon-kichi was searching for an _engagement ring!_" Ayame finally spilled, proud that he had managed to keep his mouth shut for so long. A loud crash came from the door to the kitchen and the three men turned, horrified to see Tohru, pale as a ghost, standing in shock over the cup of tea that she had just dropped. She put her hand to her mouth, keeping her eyes riveted on the broken porcelain. Yuki was the first to react.

"Tohru, are you alright? I'm sorry, Ayame-san didn't mean to startle you."

Alarmed, she awoke from her reverie, shaking her head.

"No, I'm sorry! I broke such a beautiful cup! I can pay you the cost, Aya-"

Ayame interrupted her apology, "Please, Tohru-chan, there's really no need. Allow me to clean that for you."

"Excuse me, I should go wash myself off," Tohru said, noticing some tea staining her skirt.

"Do you need any help, dear?" Mine asked, emerging from the kitchen to find the source of the commotion.

"No, I'm fine! Thank you, really!"

Tohru walked quickly out of the room, locked herself in the bathroom and sat on the ground. She didn't understand her overreaction, but now that she was alone, it hit her all at once. An unrestrained giggle broke from her lips and she put her hands over her mouth again, hiding the excitement obvious of her features. She couldn't believe it. She had always felt like part of the Sohma family, but all of a sudden, she realized that eventually, she _would _be a part of it. Tears of happiness built in her eyes but she wiped them away, knowing that if Kyo saw her like this, he would assume she was sad, and then inevitably he would know someone had accidentally spilled his secret, and then Kyo would be, well, to put it lightly, absolutely furious. After a few minutes she collected herself, washed the tea off her skirt, and went to open the door. Leaning against the doorframe was Kyo, looking slightly anxious, but not upset.

"Good," she thought to herself, "He doesn't know what happened." She smiled up at him and said innocently, "You startled me, Kyo! Is everything alright?" He looked at her suspiciously, trying to read the emotions that she was fighting so hard to keep from him.

"Uh, yeah… I packed up our stuff. We're all set. That is, if you're ready." Kyo turned away, rubbing the back of his head. She could tell he knew something was off. She immediately felt dreadful for keeping something from him, even though she knew it was for the best.

"Perfect!" She overemphasized, taking his arm and returning to others. "Let's get going then!" She added abruptly, seeing everyone's eyes glued to them intently as they reentered the dining room.

"Fine by me…" Kyo replied, feeling extremely uncomfortable and confused under the sudden scrutiny.

…

In her entire life, Kana had never had a problem approaching unfamiliar doors. She lived by the thought that if life presents you with a closed door, hard work would open it for you. She reminded herself that in this situation, her life mottos would not make this any easier. She was surprised when she had ended up here, never expecting that she would find the words she needed to say. Especially this late at night. Talking a deep breath, she stepped forward, knocked on the door, and froze. About twenty seconds later, she heard footsteps at the door, and a woman peered out from behind it.

"May I help you?" Akito asked, looking the pregnant woman up and down, trying to remember if she knew her. Kana flinched; she knew Akito as the head of the family, but for some unknown reason recently she couldn't help but feel terrified around him. "…Her" she corrected herself mentally. "Why is she here?" she thought to herself.

"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked. Finally remembering who the woman was, Akito's eyes grew, and she quickly said, "Please, come in out of the cold. I'll have someone make us some tea."

Kana stepped into the lavish home and removed her coat, hanging it on a nearby rack. She followed Akito into an ornate living room, where Shigure sprawled on a lounge chair, reading what appeared to be a very old book. He sat up immediately, recognizing his friend's ex-girlfriend.

"Kana-san, what an unexpected surprise. I haven't seen you since Mayu and I parted ways." Kana noticed Akito shoot a displeased glance at him, and she left the room to presumably have tea prepared. Shigure offered her a seat while chuckling to himself.

"Don't mind Akito. She just gets jealous sometimes."

Kana's mouth hung open, having trouble believing that Shigure, the slightly annoying ex-boyfriend of her best friend, was now together with the head of the Sohma family. But she reminded herself she had business to address, so she pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

"Shigure-san," Kana started, voice quivering with trepidation, "Recently, well, I've been getting these headaches. It's not due to my recent pregnancy, I think, but I keep wondering about certain things, and it puts me on edge."

"Isn't a health-related matter something you should be bringing up with Hatori-san?"

"No." She said a little too firmly. Shigure's eyebrows rose, sensing that whatever was going on, it could not be good.

"Please, do not inform Mayu or Hatori-san about this conversation. They will only worry about me."

"Why don't you relax and tell me exactly what's been going on." Shigure prompted.

She looked up at him, and taking her chance, she told him of what happened at the teahouse.

An hour passed and eventually, Kana stood to leave.

"I've taken up too much of your time, but thank you so much for your reassuring words, Shigure-san. I should get home though; my husband will worry. Please, thank Akito for the tea.

"Any time, Kana-san. Do you need me to accompany you home?"

"No, I'll be fine. It's just a short walk through the Sohma complex."

Waving goodbye, Shigure closed the door and turned around, face-to-face with Akito.

"I presume you were listening to that?" he asked.

"Of course." She retorted.

"You realize what this means, don't you?"

"Unfortunately."

Shigure sighed, and added, "It appears Ha-chan's memory wipes are not as permanent as we expected."

"This could be bad." She thought aloud, remembering the various times Hatori's trick had been employed.

"Very bad. Very bad indeed."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"I'm back," she heard from the front door, along with the howl of cold wind that rushed in from the winter night. Mayu pushed aside the exams she was grading and left the couch to greet Hatori, who had just returned from Ayame's shop.

"Hi there," she said as he leaned down and kissed her lightly, then went to hang his coat up to dry. "How was Aya's?"

"Crowded. With your former students congregating there, it was hard to even find space to move. The sleeping arrangements weren't much better, but Aya still insisted I stay the night."

"Oh, which students?

"Let's see… Kyo and Tohru were there, and then Yuki arrived later with his girlfriend and a few friends."

"Sounds like it was fun, I wish I had gone!" She said, returning her seat and inviting him to follow.

"You were invited, remember?" He smiled. "So, how was your weekend off without me? Did you get work done?" He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. She stifled her jolt of surprise when she felt his lips slowly caressing her jawline.

"It wasn't as fun without you here..." She trailed off, completely forgetting what she had planned on discussing with him. Her thoughts had been occupied all day, worried about why Kana had been acting so strangely the other day. It was futile though, she was light headed and could feel her heartbeat increasing by the second. She turned to face him and responded immediately with a greedy kiss, running her hands into his hair and pulling him closer. His hands moved carefully up her sides, deciding to tease the top button of her blouse until she became so impatient she practically ripped it open for him. Just then his phone rang, shrilly piercing the intimacy of the moment.

"Not now, dammit." She barked. Hatori laughed, reminding her it could be a medical emergency. He pushed himself off her and reached for the phone, allowing Mayu the space she needed to catch her breath. She rebuttoned her shirt as she waited for his phone call to end, annoyed with herself for getting so swept away.

"No, I haven't seen her, she didn't schedule any appointments with me today," Hatori said, obviously concerned about the topic of conversation. Mayu strained her ears, trying to identify the caller, but it was no use."I'll keep you informed if I hear anything, good luck." He hung up and faced Mayu. "That was Kana's husband," he informed her, "and apparently she was supposed to be home two hours ago."

Mayu's eyes widened, thinking of her pregnant friend out in the icy night.

"No one has seen her?" she asked, failing to hide the panic in her voice. She should have told Hatori about Kana's strange behavior much sooner.

"Not to my knowledge. He thought maybe she had come here with a question about her pregnancy, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem that way."

"Should we be trying to look for her?" Mayu asked, feeling helpless. "Where was she last seen?"

Hatori shrugged, "I'm not sure. Her husband said he already had many people looking for her, so he said we didn't need to concern ourselves. It's strange, she seemed fine the other day, hopefully she didn't get hurt…" Hatori noticed Mayu's face harden at the mention of their encounter with her. "What's wrong? Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"About the other day," she began nervously, cursing herself for not telling him immediately. "Kana didn't seem, well, completely normal."

"What do you mean?"

"It was really strange, actually. We were in the tea shop and when the bill came, she made a strange comment about you."

"What kind of comment?"

"You know the logo of the shop? The dragon with the moon? Well, she said something about you reminding her of a dragon. Then she looked panicked all of a sudden and announced she had to see her doctor… even though technically you're her doctor. She claimed it was just pregnancy hormones but-"

"The dragon reminded her of me? Specifically the dragon?" Hatori's steely voice lowered an octave and nearly frightened Mayu. 'Why was he so curious about the dragon?' she thought.

"Yes," she replied. Hatori covered his mouth with his hands and looked straight ahead, almost as if he had seen a ghost. A few seconds later he stood abrubtly.

"That can't be right," he muttered, "even though the curse ended, her memories shouldn't be returning to her…"

"Curse?" Mayu asked, alarmed by his conduct. "What curse? What are you talking about, Hatori?" Relization hit Hatori as he swung around to face her, guilt consuming him.

"Mayu," he said steadily, "I need to tell you something I should have said a long time ago. I never really explained to you… the reason Kana and I broke up."

"You had to somehow wipe her memories, right?"

"Well, yes, but there is alot more to that story than I've said."

Kana took a deep breath and steadied herself, prepared for the worst.

"Okay, I'm listening."

…

"Hmmm," Kazuma said, examining the black decorations that Hanajima had just finished hanging for New Years. "It looks very festive, Hanajima-san, great work!"

"You have to be kidding me," Kunimitsu commented, gazing up with apprehension at the dark décor filling the entrance to the dojo.

"Thank you, Kazuma-san." Hanajima, dressed in a black kimono with her hair done up in elaborate braids, climbed off the ladder and admired her work. The dojo, in her opinion, looked perfect for Tohru's arrival. Moments later there was a deafening crash, followed by Kagura's voice yelling "HAAAA!"

"What did you break this time, Kagura?" Kunimitsu groaned and left to inspect the room Rin had just come from. Rin walked out of the room looking unamused and joined the group in the entrance.

"When is Tohru getting here, again?"

Kazuma looked down at his wrist watch. "They should be here pretty soon. Kyo said around noon." At that, Kagura groaned and emerged into the hallway.

"I think that's my cue to go, then," she lamented, "I still don't really feel like being around them." Everyone except Rin looked at Kagura with pitiful eyes; Rin knew her friend better than that.

"Cut the crap, Kagura, don't act like you haven't gotten past that." Kagura scowled and resisteded the urge to stick out her tongue. "Doesn't mean I can't whine about it." Kagura flicked her hair back and headed to the showers to clean up after her training session. Kunimitsu watched her go with amusment; he had been impressed with how well she had handled Kyo's rejection, especially after so many years of pining after him. He caught himself staring at her and quickly averted his eyes.

"I'll ready some tea for them." He said, starting for the kitchen. At that moment, a slight knock sounded at the door. Hanajima was already there opening it before anyone had a chance to react. Kyo and Tohru were standing there in their winter clothes, huddled together to stay warm.

"It's been a long time, Kyo, Tohru-kun." Kazuma smiled at the new arrivals.

Hana embraced Tohru immediately and practically dragged her into the living room before she had a chance to speak to anyone. Rin followed, leaving Kyo and Kazuma in the entrance. Kyo looked at Kazuma, and after a few seconds, they embraced each other in a tight hug.

"I've missed you, Kyo." He said quietly. "I hope your new home has been treating you well."

"It's been tough being away from the dojo, Shishou, there's a lot I have to tell you."

"About that, Ayame called the other day… apparently you have some big news!" He smiled, feeling slightly guilty for knowing Kyo's secret, but also craving to hear it for himself.

"Goddamnit, that idiot." Kyo put his hand to his face, partially to hide his embarrassment, but also to control his unbelievable rage. 'Did everyone in the Sohma family know about this?' He thought angrily to himself.

"So it's true then?" Kazuma could feel his throat tightening up.

"Yeah, it's true."

"When do you think you'll ask her?"

"I was actually going to do it… tomorrow night."

"You have a ring?"

"Oh, well, about that…you see, um, well…" Kyo played with his hair nervously. Kazuma laughed and placed his hand on his son's shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry. You'll figure everything out. Tohru-kun will be so happy."

"I sure hope so," Kyo grumbled to himself. "This has all been so stressful."

Kazuma chuckled, amused at just how different Kyo was from three years ago.

"It shouldn't be too stressful, Kyo. Just remember, it's Tohru. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Kunimitsu leaned out of the kitchen just then, and announced that the tea was ready.

"Shall we?" Kazuma turned to Kyo, gesturing to the door.

…

Plates stacked high, the sink was full of the dishes from their lunch, which had lasted over an hour due to the stories everyone had to share about the past year. Kunimitsu refused Tohru's offer to help, and began cleaning up the mess while the four girls sat around the fireplace in the living room. They decided to paint their nails for the New Years party the next day, matching the colors to their kimonos while gossiping about the prospective romance in their lives. Kyo had gone out for some last minute shopping, and Kazuma retired to his room to read a book.

"How have you and Kyo-kun been, Tohru-kun?" Hanajima asked, brushing out her friend's hair, sice her nails were already matching her black kimono for tomorrow night.

"Oh, we're great! Thank you for asking, Hana-chan," Tohru glanced uncomfortably for a moment at Kagura, worried that her words may be hurting her. Kagura noticed this and laughed, "Don't worry, Tohru-kun, Kyo is a friend to me, nothing more."

"Especially now that she's dating Kunimitsu-"

"Rin! Stop spreading rumors." Kagura lightly hit her friend and turned to Tohru, "That isn't true, don't believe a word she says."

"Coincidentaly, Kazuma-san and I were actually discussing that the other day. He thought you two would make a lovely pair." Hanajima added in her customary monotone. Kagura jumped at the mention of Kazuma and tried to change the subject.

"That's right, didn't you used to like Shishou?"

"I still do." Hanajima said calmly, setting the brush down and beginning to braid Tohru's hair.

"Does he know?" Kagura inquired loudly, genuinely curious as to what Kazuma looked for in a woman.

"I told him once. He appreciated my affection but kindly turned me down."

"And you still work here despite that?"

"Of course. I don't require the amorous affections of a man I admire greatly just to be happy. I am content being able to merely accompany him throughout the day." Kagura didn't have a response to that; she never realized Hanajima was so mature.

"Well, he's a pretty engaging guy, I suppose."

"Engaging who?" Tohru, who had been lost in thought and missed most of the conversation, whipped her head around to stare in panic at Kagura, almost knocking over a bottle of nail polish in the process. "No one is engaged!"

"Uh…what?" Kagura asked, puzzled. Hanajima looked intently at her flustered friend, immediately deciphering Tohru's thoughts. Tohru forced out an uncomfortably awkward laugh and said, "Oh, nothing, my mistake! I misheard you! By the way, Rin, I just remembered, Yuki-kun told me that you've been meaning to speak with me about something?"

"Let's talk about that a little later, if you don't mind, I'm too relaxed to bother with anything more than idle gossip."

"Sure, no problem!" Tohru replied cheerfully, although she could tell she had made a mistake in bringing it up here; it was clear now that the topic of their future conversation would be private.

"It's not really gossip when it comes to you, Rin! You practically spend every night with Hatsuharu, and you hardly stay at our place!" Kagura teased, painting a dark emerald green color onto her nails.

"I don't see why you would care." Rin replied, unaffected by Kagura's attempts at mockery. "You have Kunimit-"

"One of these days Kunimitsu will hear you and think you're being serious." Kagura scowled.

"I'll hear what?" Kunimitsu asked, having just finished the dishes. Kagura's jaw dropped and her face went pale, completely unsure of what to say.

"You'll hear that Kagura thinks she's a better fighter than you." Rin said smoothly, almost without hesitation.

"Is that so?" he chuckled and pointed at Kagura, who still seemed to be stricken from his unexpected entrance. "Well then, you're just going to have to prove yourself to me! How about tomorrow night after the banquet? We'll fight, Kazuma-san will be our judge!" Finally finding her words, Kagura manged to object, "but we'll be so full from the food…"

"Ah, I see that you're nervous. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you." That did it.

"Yeah, right!" Kagura stood up, sizing up her new rival. "Fine, we'll fight, tomorrow after the banquet. If I win, you have to do my share of the cleaning in the dojo for a month."

"And if I win?" he asked, raising his eyebrow playfully.

"I'll do your share." She responded immediately.

"Hmm, no that's not what I want." He paused for a moment, to make it seem like he was pondering what his prize should be, even though he had planned his request immediately. "If I win, you have to spend one day doing what I tell you. That means if you manage to break another door, I can tell you to fix it instead of having to do it myself."

"Only one day?" she asked, trying to find the catch.

"One day." He reaffirmed.

"Deal!" She bowed comically, making the whole ordeal seem far more serious than it was.

"Perfect." He replied, bowing back and turning to leave the girls to their gossip. "I'll see you then."

"Come ready to lose!" Kagura called after him, and then turned back to her friends who had all remained silent throughout the exchange. Rin was smirking, Tohru was inexplicably repainting her ring finger for the third time, and Hanjima didn't look up from the braids she was weaving in Tohru's hair.

"What?" Kagura challenged Rin to say something.

"Nothing! Nothing at all." Rin laughed quietly, trying to keep silent. Kagura couldn't help but smile back; it had been the first time she had seen Rin laugh in many months.

"That's what I thought."

…

The scene was all too familiar: the orange hair, the jewelry shop, the boy on street looking like a stray cat. Once again, Kyo was left aimlessly browsing through generic rings that were either too expensive or too boring to be considered. He leaned his back against the store window and closed his eyes, trying to picture what Tohru's ring should look like. He pictured her in his head being overjoyed from a plastic ring fout of a cereal box. "Oh, Kyo-kun, it's perfect, yes, of course yes!" Imaginary Tohru let him put the toy ring on her finger and then latched onto him in a happy kiss. He snorted a humored laugh; she would be completely fine with anything he picked. That was just it, though. He didn't want it to be fine, he wanted it to be perfect. She deserved perfect.

"Whatcha doin' there, Kyo-kun?" a familiar but unexpectedly deep voice asked him.

"I'm sure the entire Sohma family knows by now, thanks to that damn Ayame. I'm surprised you have to ask." Kyo sighed, keeping his eyes shut and picturing imaginary Tohru showing off her plastic cereal ring to an unimpressed Hanajima and Uotani. Momiji looked beyond Kyo into the store window and saw the ring display.

"Oh. You're proposing, then? When?"

"Tomorrow night."

Momiji didn't know whether to laugh at Kyo or feel annoyed with him.

"You're proposing tomorrow night, and you haven't even picked out a ring?"

"Basically."

Momiji leaned up against the glass next to Kyo and stayed there in silence for a few minutes

"Come on, let's go inside. You have a ring to find."

"I don't need help, I'll be fine."

"It's not you whom I'm worried about."

Kyo gave in, following Momiji into the store.

A few minutes later, he realized that accepting help had been a mistake. After Momiji showed him the third ring in the store with either cat ears or bunny ears, Kyo began to not take his suggestions very seriously. An hour and hundreds of rings later, still nothing had caught Kyo's eye. The cereal box ring was seeming more and more realistic as the time wore on. Defeated, the two boys left the shop, trying to focus on the bright side; at least it wasn't snowing anymore. They stayed quiet for the most part, passing small shops filled with items ranging from exotic food to antique furnishings, but no rings. They were passing a tiny, decorative shop when Momiji stopped and announced, "There's something here that I actually wanted to get Tohru for New Years. Do you mind waiting for just a moment? We're headed the same direction."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Kyo approved, following Momiji into their second store of the day. The shop was packed with wind chimes, lawn decorations, and trinkets of all shapes and sizes. Kyo was pretty sure there was even a pond toward the back corner. They also had a section with handcrafted jewelry that was slightly too garish to be worn, but still, it had a certain charm about it. Momiji went off to find his gift while Kyo looked at the jewelry out of habit. He had been to so many jewelry stores recently that his viewing of the rings was initiated by pure reflex. Suddenly, it felt like the wind was knocked out of him. There in front of him, surrounded by some of the ugliest pieces of jewelry he had ever seen, was the ring. Tohru's ring. He looked at the price tag. He could afford it. His heart started racing as he took the ring off the shelf and held it up in the light. This had to be it. He had found the ring.


End file.
